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Living Like Our Ancestors- The Caveman Regimen

 
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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/08/2016 9:26 am

Just a quick background on why the hell I decided to stop using anything on my face:

I have been with my boyfriend for two years, and he is really the only person who really knows to the extent to how much my acne bothers me. Okay, bothers is a small word. Actually, my acne makes me depressed. It has controlled my life since I was 10. I can't tell you how many hours I have put in researching cures and products, how much money I have spend on said products, and how many times they have all disappointed me. You can click on my page to see what I have tried and the kind of acne that I have, so I'll just cut to the chase.

Every morning when waking up next to him, and every night falling asleep next to him, I had to annoyingly get up and take 10 minutes to wash and take care of my face. I'm sure we all know how tedious this is. One night when talking to him about my acne, and crying, he said to me:"Why do you keep on putting things onto your face that don't even work? Just try not doing anything."

How dare he tell me how to take care of my acne-prone skin when he doesn't even have acne in the first place.

And then it hit me like a bus.

He hasperfectskin. I can touch it with my dirty fingers and he never gets a pimple. And do you know what he does? Nothing.Absolutely nothing. So, I started researching the Caveman Regimen and learned about the acid mantle and how it is naturally supposed to protect the skin against bacteria, and acne. I have been washing my face since my first pimple when I was 10, and destroying my acid mantle every day since. I should at least give this new regimen a try, since it's so darn easy.

Day 7

And now it has been one week. The hardest part is not using makeup. I will only use concealer on the acne that is angry red, but other than that I let my bare face "shine though." When I do use that little concealer, I just sleep in it. And when I am in the shower, I avoid getting my face wet, and dry it with a cotton ball by using patting motions.

The first day that I started this regimen, I noted how much more even my skin tone was. I actually had to use less concealer to cover up my spots than when I washed my face. Which is great! It was gross to sleep without washing my face, however now it has been one week and I am getting used to the feeling.

I think my skin is starting to purge. I am getting a lotmore acne on my forehead and temples. However, I have noticed that when I do get pimples they go away pretty quickly, as in two or three days and they are a lot less red and inflamed.

Apparently this purging phase is really normal and it should go away within another two or three weeks. The thing is, I dont want to stop with this because what is my alternative? The method I was using before (oil cleansing, apple cider vinegar toner, manuka honey cleanser for mornings, tea tree oil) wasnt working. So why would I go back to something that I know will not work?

Only time will tell!

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(@jlopez)

Posted : 04/08/2016 9:47 am

Hey rachel_206,

Just wanted to chime in and say well done for braving the caveman regimen! I stuck with it myself for over 50 days and it was one of the most life changing things I have done for my skin. My reasons were very similar to yours.

I found the first few weeks incredibly difficult, I had very itchy skin and my breakouts seemed to increase too, but remember that it takes at least a month for your skin to adjust, and hopefully it will be all improvements from there.

If you need any advice or encouragement or have any questions about my caveman regimen please feel free to ask! And best of luck.

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/08/2016 9:57 am

@JLopez

It's really tough to stick with it because right now the weather is starting to get sunnier and I am at university living in a student house and it really takes a toll on my social life as well as my confidence. But I do know that I need to stick with it! It's just especially difficult with summer coming, and all.

And thank you so much for your input, I read about your entire caveman regimen experience on your page, it is very inspiring!

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(@jlopez)

Posted : 04/08/2016 12:19 pm

@rachel_206

I think one of the most important things is not to be too hard on yourself, if you feel like you need to put on a little bit of concealer so that you can go out and be sociable and feel confident then you absolutely should. But another great thing about the caveman regimen is that it's such a powerful learning experience! It was the only thing that finally made me understand that people don't care if I'm covering my acne with makeup or not, the only person who cares is me.

Oh awesome! I'm glad it was helpful.

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/10/2016 3:53 am

Day 9

Today is Sunday, and this weekend has been rough. Basically benzoyl peroxide has just acted as a band-aid for all these years. When I was on it, I still got acne, but it was a lot less than the amount that I am experiencing now. Alotless (however more inflamed). My skin looks like it did back when I was 12, when I had pimplesall overmy face. The acne that I had been masking is back, proving that this is not just something that can be cured with BP, just covered up.

So, I guess my skin is going through the dreaded "purging" phase. I don't know how long this is going to last, but hopefully it will get better by the end of the week because I am going to London. Everyone's skin is different but I heard that people sometimes purge for three weeks to even a month? I desperately hope it isn't the case for me. It is seriously taking a toll on my social life, and affecting me psychologically. My housemates have never seen me with acne this bad and it is harming my self-esteem.

My forehead is the worst by far. Back when I was on the BP I got all my acne on my chin, cheeks and temples. Now, my acne is concentrated on my forehead, nose (I used to NEVER get acne on my nose) and chin. I am SO happy that there isn't anything on my cheeks though other than scars....cheek and temple acne scar so easily.

Although I am very down at this point I of course am not going to give up. Other than my skin looking gross it also feels gross. It is oily feeling and also very itchy. But I'm not touching it!

*edit, 17:30* WOAH so I took a small mirror to my skin, and scrutinized it and saw the coolest grossest thing ever. You know those pore strips? And how when you peel them off, you can see the white stuff from your blackheads on it? Well, using natural sunlight I took my mirror and observed my pores closely and I can see the gunk just coming out of my pores, especially on my nose! It looks like my kin is a used pore strip and it's awesome. People can't see it unless if they come REALLY close to my skin and in the natural sunlight but it really shows how my skin is purging. It is so cool.

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(@strongbodyforgoodskin)

Posted : 04/10/2016 5:56 am

Rachel, the caveman method is flawed and there are many reasons for this. Firstly washing your face is something that has been practised since the caveman times, people have since their creation washed their faces with cold water from rivers, lakes or whatever it may be. And scientifically washing your face with cold water does not break the acid mantle nor does it harm your skin in any way, rather it would purify it. So with all due respect the caveman method is flawed both scientifically but even flawed because it only relies on one thing and that is not washing your face. There is a method in which you consume extremely low amounts of simple/fast carbs in your diet and increase intake of healthy fats and complex carbs which does really produce results more than this caveman method would. 

I have a friend who has seriously never experienced a pimple in his whole existence :P I have known him for a long time ever since we were like 6 and he is now 21 and has the same flawless skin, if you zoom in on it you cannot even see pores, its so amazing he has never experienced a single blackhead in his entire life either, srsly he has never experienced things even normal people should experience... and I asked him with frustration one day why do you have the most flawless skin in the world and he replies saying "I dont know, I think its just genetics and maybe because I wash my face 5 times a day for prayer" I then asked him if it was cold or warm water and he said always mildly cold water, then I asked him if he used any products he said he never uses anything other than cold water, also he told me he has never given any single thought into his skin in his life, he just wakes up and goes on with his life without even checking the mirror. I aksed him what he thinks about people with Acne aswell and he said "I dont give it any single thought at all, everyone has their individual struggles" Lastly I asked him about his diet, and guess what? He loves whole milk, he drinks it everyday and he eats eggs almost everyday aswell and even consumes dates which are fruit with a lot of fructose, so confused I was.

Here is my conclusion, genetics plays a extremely large role in your skin, washing your face is not making your acne worse but it might perhaps not make it better either. Natural farm milk and eggs are healthy for the skin. Sugar can cause Acne because of insulin but natural fruits like dates would not worsen Acne perhaps. 

Lastly I end this with saying, if you are really badly bothered by Acne then you should consider Isotretinoin treatment (Accutane).

 

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/10/2016 10:19 am

@Strongbodyforgoodskin

Thank you for your reply and your input! I can see why you say it is flawed--there are many people out there who also do not believe in it. I cannot come to any conclusions about it yet since it has only been 9 days. Before I agree with you, I'll make sure to give it the benefit of the doubt and continue for the rest of the 30 days. I don't want to be a quitter, and I find this this is really nice for learning how to accept the fact that my friends and family don't care whether I have makeup on or not, they all still like me for me. 

I know that there are some people who do the modified caveman regimen and have had success , which means that they just use water (same as your friend). I am going to wait to try that until the month is over, because I need my acid mantle to repair. I also do 100% believe that genetics plays a role in acne. Those people are so lucky! The thing is, nobody else in my family has acne. It is just me, and I have asked my grandparents and aunts and uncles about their acne to see if it was passed down to me, but nobody has had it. It makes me believe that perhaps I have been causing my acne for all these years by using products. What if I had just left it alone when I was 10? That is why I am doing this...to find out. 

I actually have a vegan diet out of choice, so i will never be eating eggs or milk intentionally. I also do not eat refined carbohydrates and have eliminated all simple sugars. I eat so many complex carbs (rice potatoes pasta etc.) so I can't rule that out. I've made lots of dietary restrictions in the past and it actually caused more acne because I was so stressed and strict. 

And I will end my post by saying that I have already tried Accutane for two years and it didn't work for me.  So, I got off it. I have mild to moderate acne and have tried everything except this. It has always fascinated me and it can't do any harm. 

Anyway, I appreciate your long and thought out comment! Good luck to you :)

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(@strongbodyforgoodskin)

Posted : 04/10/2016 12:25 pm

3 hours ago, rachel_206 said:
@Strongbodyforgoodskin

Thank you for your reply and your input! I can see why you say it is flawed--there are many people out there who also do not believe in it. I cannot come to any conclusions about it yet since it has only been 9 days. Before I agree with you, I'll make sure to give it the benefit of the doubt and continue for the rest of the 30 days. I don't want to be a quitter, and I find this this is really nice for learning how to accept the fact that my friends and family don't care whether I have makeup on or not, they all still like me for me. 

I know that there are some people who do the modified caveman regimen and have had success , which means that they just use water (same as your friend). I am going to wait to try that until the month is over, because I need my acid mantle to repair. I also do 100% believe that genetics plays a role in acne. Those people are so lucky! The thing is, nobody else in my family has acne. It is just me, and I have asked my grandparents and aunts and uncles about their acne to see if it was passed down to me, but nobody has had it. It makes me believe that perhaps I have been causing my acne for all these years by using products. What if I had just left it alone when I was 10? That is why I am doing this...to find out. 

I actually have a vegan diet out of choice, so i will never be eating eggs or milk intentionally. I also do not eat refined carbohydrates and have eliminated all simple sugars. I eat so many complex carbs (rice potatoes pasta etc.) so I can't rule that out. I've made lots of dietary restrictions in the past and it actually caused more acne because I was so stressed and strict. 

And I will end my post by saying that I have already tried Accutane for two years and it didn't work for me.  So, I got off it. I have mild to moderate acne and have tried everything except this. It has always fascinated me and it can't do any harm. 

Anyway, I appreciate your long and thought out comment! Good luck to you :)

Goodluck on your journey :) But about Accutane for two years thats insanely long time it should have cured your Acne hmm )= are you sure u took high enough of a dosage? 

Many reasons for Accutane to not work is because its not absorbed and utilized by the body well. Did you take it with high fat meal consistently?

Im pretty sure Accutane would work for you with the right dosage, patience and absorbtion. But yeah u have to weigh in the side effects.

 

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/10/2016 4:25 pm

3 hours ago, Strongbodyforgoodskin said:
Goodluck on your journey :) But about Accutane for two years thats insanely long time it should have cured your Acne hmm )= are you sure u took high enough of a dosage? 

Many reasons for Accutane to not work is because its not absorbed and utilized by the body well. Did you take it with high fat meal consistently?

Im pretty sure Accutane would work for you with the right dosage, patience and absorbtion. But yeah u have to weigh in the side effects.

 

I was on Accutane back when I was in middle school, so that was a good 6-7 years ago or so, so I don't remember if I took it with a high fat meal. And yes it should have cured me :/ I am not willing to get back on it though because of the nasty side effects. 

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/12/2016 9:13 am

Day 11

My skin is about the same. This weekend was really difficult for me mentally, because my skin has been purging and it hasn't looked this bad in awhile. But it's not even like I am developing painful, red cystic acne or anything. Now it is just a lot lot of whiteheads, only at my t-zone. I am still congested on my forehead and chin, but it is getting better every day. My nose has a few pimples, and the skin under my eyes is a bit red from maybe acne?? I can't tell.

Something amazing is that sometimes the whitehead will come to a head during the day, and then just disappear the next. It is the strangest thing. I am used to dealing with pimples for weeks before they go away. The only discoloration that I have is from my scars. I could cover them with concealer but I have just been dealing with it every day. This regimen has been so good for my soul...it is nice to know people still care about me, still want to look at me, still treat me the same despite the fact that my skin looks pretty nasty. The only person who cares is me.

My skin has these periods when it feels really dry and itchy, yet other times when it feels super oily. It doesn't look any different, dry or oily wise, it just feels that way. I also had an itch on my forehead and gently scratched it, and when I pulled my finger away I could see sooo much dead skin under my nail it was amazing. Also I have to avoid rubbing my eyes because itburnslike nothing that I have ever felt before. I'll be back in two days!

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/17/2016 12:54 pm

Day 16

This is the worst it has been, by far. 

1. I keep on breaking out, it hasn't stopped. 
2. My scars look even more prominent
3. I am developing a "dead skin mask," which is so concentrated in some areas that it is giving me even more hyper-pigmentation

I don't know what to do. I want to quit it so badly, because I have  not had acne this bad in a long, long time. I am looking at other people's stories and many people say that after two weeks they can see that their skin is getting better, while mine is progressively getting worse. The only thing that is keeping me from using products is because I don't want to get back to relying on a three step regimen every morning and every night, and because I know that even if I try to tackle it now it wont get better for another two or three weeks. It is really that bad of a breakout. 

My forehead has at least 40 red bumps and whiteheads, by far the worst. The breakouts are travelling down my temples, along my hairline, my nose and cheeks. My chin and around my mouth look so dry (it looks like dead skin but it is actually sebaceous filaments).

Hopefully the next post will have better news :(

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(@fadedjay)

Posted : 04/17/2016 1:29 pm

hey

i tired this and lasted around 7 days as i got massive pimples on my temples and my skin got very very bad in such a short period. With eating all the junk in the world my skin was never as bad as when trying this.

I know people who only wash their face with water int he shower once a day and are flawless but thats mainly genetics every is different.

keep your head up and if you need to change your regime do so 🙂

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/20/2016 4:57 am

On 4/17/2016 at 8:29 PM, fadedjay said:

hey 

i tired this and lasted around 7 days as i got massive pimples on my temples and my skin got very very bad in such a short period. With eating all the junk in the world my skin was never as bad as when trying this.

I know people who only wash their face with water int he shower once a day and are flawless but thats mainly genetics every is different.

keep your head up and if you need to change your regime do so :)

Hey fadedjay,

I am sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience! My skin didn't get the worst until around then as well. I believe that genetics plays a huge role..if only we all had naturally flawless skin!

I am going to keep going with the caveman because I love its simplicity and I can't imagine going back to another 3 step program every morning and night. I am more than halfway through the 30 days, and by then, if I continue to break out, I will know that my acne is caused by something internal and I can begin to tackle it that way. I really do appreciate the support!

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/21/2016 8:48 am

Day 21

It is week 3 and still no improvement. It is so incredibly disheartening, disappointing and frustrating.

My skin is so dry that sometimes when Istretch it it hurts. Ican see the dead skin all around my mouth, and it gives me this yellowish-orange color. My breakouts have not decreased in number, they continue to spread. I have them on my chin, upper lip, nose, eyebrows, temples and forehead. So, pretty much all over my face. I have red dots everywhere, from new whiteheads and acne that is going to form, as well as just red discoloration in general. My whiteheads do not go away in 1-2 days anymore, it is more like 5 days. The hyper-pigmentation is even worse, and my skin tone is definitely not evening out. All I want to do is rip my skin off. It is do difficult for me to continue because I want to see something, anythingthat will give me hope to finish these 30 days.I am so proud of myself for how far I have come, and I have learned so much about myself and who I am as a person. Just...NOTHING works for my acne.I've cried more about my skin in these past 21 days than I think I have in my whole lifetime. It's so difficult now that the weather is nice. Isn't it horrible how acne makes you hate the sunny weather?

Thinking about continuing this for the rest of the monthwithout any improvement makes me so anxious. I know I can't jump to conclusions, and of course I am going to do this for another 9 days, but if I don't see any improvement I think I am going to have a huge breakdown. I can't deal with my acne anymore. I am so embarrassed and it is taking over my life even more so than it used to. I'll continue to be brave. After all, I have made it past the 3 week mark, and it is only one month of my life.

Again, hopefully next post will bring good news...

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/24/2016 3:50 am

Day 24

HALLELUJAH. Finally, some improvement!!!

The improvement comes in the form that I have no pimples on my chin, and none forming (crossing my fingers), none on my upper lip (and none forming), and none on my forehead and none forming (crossing my fingers). My forehead is a 90% flat now, and with no whiteheads that I can see. It still has discoloration from all of the dead skin, and I have a bit of redness from pimples around my eyebrows and temples, but oh my goodness I am just so glad my forehead is looking better. The nostrils of my nose is better also.

The negatives are that I still have whiteheads in-between my eyebrows, on my temples and the front part of my cheeks. BUT! I have no new acne forming. It is all redness from the pimples before. I can only hope that they will heal up and I will be almost clear??

What I am craving is a really delicious exfoliation. My skin is so dry and patchy...if you get close then you can see all of the dead skin that is especially on my forehead and around my mouth. And with this mask comes the itch. Maybe after another week or so I will take some wet oats to my skin and gently rub it? But that is a decision that I will make later on. I don't want to mess up any progress that I have made so far!

I am so proud of myself for sticking this through. It was so upsetting a week ago, when Istillhadn't seen any improvement. My skin is absolutely nowhere near perfect, but just the fact that my forehead and chin are looking so much better is plenty hope for me to continue. Saturday will be day 30!! Also, something that I have been doing a lot less is feeling bad for myself. I mean, people do not care that i have acne. My friends treat me the exact same, and it makes me feel more confident to walk around without makeup. They are looking me in the eye, and of course they can see it, but everything is the same. I know that I have a lot more wonderful qualities to myself than my skin. I am just trying to not let it bother me as much as it used to.

Fingers crossed (again!) for another positive update!

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 04/27/2016 7:40 am

Day 27

I couldn't take it anymore...the dead skin all over....I couldn't do it. I exfoliated with a washcloth and water. BUT! I didn't exfoliate my whole face, in case I were to mess up the regimen. I only did my chin, which was probably one of the worst parts that needed to be exfoliated. I used a white washcloth, and the little section of the cloth that I used is now YELLOW ew. The fibers are sticky with visible yellow dead skin cells. I told you that the dead skin gave me a yellow-ish look!!

Anyway, my forehead is looking better, and same with my eyebrows. I have nothing on my upper lip, and no big pimples on my chin. Hopefully nothing too crazy will come out of me exfoliating. I can see that I still have acne there, but I have acne everywhere, so it isn't anything new. Hyper pigmentation isn't getting any better, I still have acne on my temples, hairline and front part of my cheeks....and other bumps everywhere. Something good is that I will be getting my period within the next two days, and I do not have a HUGE pimple like how I normally would. I would get it on my chin and/or on my cheeks and it would be the kind that would take a week to go away. My acne now is just a lot of little ones, rather than a few big ones.

I am so tempted to exfoliate my entire face, but I know that I can't. It is just starting to become too much. If you get too close to my face then you can definitely see it. A step away (depending on the lighting), it is invisible. Still hoping for more improvements and more hope.

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 05/01/2016 1:52 pm

Day 31

I just want to go ahead and brag a little bit and say that I am really proud of myself for never caving in and washing my face for 31 days. The first 4 days I used concealer, but after that I haven't put anything onto my face since. No makeup, no spot treatment...nothing. It was a month filled with ups and downs, (actually, a lot of downs) but I can say that I am so glad that I tried this.

My skin is nowhere near perfect, still. My forehead is getting better and better each day, and the front part of my cheeks are clearing up. The discoloration on my face is just scabs over previous acne. Nothing is on my upper lip, I have two small whiteheads on my nose, some on my chin (perhaps from exfoliating once?) and some near my hairline and my temples. Nothing drastic. I have still a lot of discoloration and hyper-pigmentation, but hopefully that will fade. The amount of acne on my face is slowly decreasing. I got 2 or 3 large ones on my cheek 5 days ago, but I believe that was a result of hormones from my period. One of them was pretty big, and I never popped it, just kind of removed the white puss gently with my fingernail. The mark is still red, and will take awhile to fade, I believe. The other two are a head now but I am not going to touch them. They will go away on their own. I am just letting my skin heal itself.

The dead skin mask is better, and my skin is still very dry. I am going to continue to not wash my face. My goal is to make another two weeks. I know I can do it! I am so proud of myself....it is such a liberating feeling and experience. I will keep you all updated!

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(@dasp)

Posted : 05/01/2016 3:11 pm

Way to go Rachel! So you have turned a corner you think?
I have done the same thing as you and I never broke out in the beginning but I have adult acne and have been doing BP and SA for a long long time as well as trying everything else. 3 weeks ago I started using only water and changing to not taking daily showers and changing my diet and not a single spot on my back since then, 🙂 maybe 2 small ones but they went away quickly. I am very encouraged, and hope you hang in there and get clear skin eventually.

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(@jlopez)

Posted : 05/02/2016 3:40 am

Hey Rachel,
I'm so pleased to hear your update! It's such great news. Well done for sticking with it. Best of luck and I hope your skin continues to improve from here.

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 05/02/2016 12:51 pm

21 hours ago, dasp said:

Way to go Rachel! So you have turned a corner you think?
I have done the same thing as you and I never broke out in the beginning but I have adult acne and have been doing BP and SA for a long long time as well as trying everything else. 3 weeks ago I started using only water and changing to not taking daily showers and changing my diet and not a single spot on my back since then, :) maybe 2 small ones but they went away quickly. I am very encouraged, and hope you hang in there and get clear skin eventually.

Dsap,

I am so happy to hear that you have found something that works for your skin! I am hoping that this has been the answer that I have been searching for for 10 years.  Even though it has been a month, I still believe that it is too early to tell if I have "truly" turned the corner. I am so afraid that it will just backfire on me, since I know that it has happened to people in the past. All we can only do is keep trying and keep our fingers crossed :) 

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 05/04/2016 7:04 am

Day 34

Still getting acne, still everywhere. I don't know if it is from stress from finals week or because I always get acne. I started a food log to see if I can find a pattern between what I eat and what it does to my skin. I also couldn't take the dead skin yellow mask anymore that was on my cheeks (front part) and I took a wet cotton pad and gently scraped it off. It resulted in my skin feeling really read and raw. I also uncovered more whiteheads by doing it. I will do my best to not do that ever again, and let my skin heal itself. I am so sick and tired of having bad skin!! I want it to go away so desperately.

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 05/08/2016 12:52 pm

Day 38

Yes, I am still getting acne, but the numbers and amount of acne on my face is reducing. Woo! Like, the amount that I get each day, as compared to three weeks ago, has been decreasing. Also, my skin complexion is starting to look more even. I have two possible reasons for this:

1. I have started to drink 1-2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar in the morning before breakfast. Once I did this four days ago, I noticed a difference later on in the day in the even tone of my skin. Yes I still have scars, but they are less noticeable.

2. The weather has been AMAZING, and on Thursday I went to the beach with my boyfriend and got lots of time in the sun. Every day since has been very sunny, so my intake of vitamin D has been increasing. If anybody knows more information about both of these possible reasons, let me know!

I went to the beach again today with my housemates. I didn't get into the water, and instead wore a hat to protect my face so that I wouldn't have to put on sunscreen. When I got back, I took a shower and HAD to rinse all of the sand, salt and sweat off of my face. I mean, it has been 5 weeks. So, I turned the water to lukewarm, and rinsed my face with the running water from the shower head for about 5-10 seconds. What a huge decision! With a washcloth, i patted my face drygently.I am not even disappointed in myself, because I have gone so long without anything on my face. I even wore a stupid hat at the beach to avoid putting sunscreen on!! I am going to see how it goes. I notice my skin feeling a little bit dry from the water...perhaps my face will get better, worse, or stay the same. Hopefully not worse though. Cheers to the better weather!

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(@jess95)

Posted : 05/10/2016 2:18 am

update?

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(@rachel_206)

Posted : 05/12/2016 9:07 am

Day 43 (Week 6)

I still am getting pimples, but a lot of them aren't even red. They are all whiteheads. Unfortunately, they do not go away in one day, but almost all of them come to a head within the same day, or the next. I just leave them alone. I don't really care anymore. Honestly what is bothering me more than the acne is the texture of my skin. It is so dry and bumpy and looks really rough. Sometimes I accidentally touch my forehead when moving my hair and it is justhardfrom the dead skin mask. Ugh. Not to mention hyper-pigmentation and other marks! Yay.

Yesterday I almost wanted to give up and scrub and scrub the dead skin off my face, but instead I looked at other caveman success stories. People urge to try this for 2-3 months. It is after that time that skin apparently makes a turn around. I only wish that I started this in the beginning of winter though, because I am struggling with what to do about sunscreen. I'll just stay in the shade and wear a hat all summer :/ Not giving up!

Speaking of that! I am actually going on a little vacation to Malta and Athens for about two weeks, so I will most likely not post. I am anxious to update you all and see if any changes are made after another two weeks!

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(@jayjaxjaq)

Posted : 05/13/2016 9:37 pm

Rachel_206, your story gives me such hope! I made it through most of my twenties assuming I have outgrown acne, and though while my skin wasn't model flawless, I was never emotionally distressed by it or thought my blemishes were anything more than what the average bear had to contend with themselves. Last summer my husband and I moved and BAM! within 2 weeks of relocating, worst breakout of my life. At one point I couldn't wash my face without being in tears from how sore it was. The surface of my face looked like cottage cheese practically. I came upon going caveman just over a week ago and immediately began ditching BP, SA, scrubs, exfoliators, moisturizers, toners, everything. For the first 3 - 4 days I was actually pretty impressed. My husband even remarked that my face looked much calmer. However, around day 5 I began to feel like I was regressing....more blemishes were appearing around my mouth (though I will say they are highly clustered...which is odd for me) and it seemed like the redness was returning. Part of me thought, "my skin should be turning around!" but another part of me thought, "you've been skinning yourself alive twice a day everyday for 14 years now with harsh this that and the others....heaven forbid it take a month or two...." I appreciate your daily accounts, it makes me realize caveman can be a slow process, thought worth the journey.

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